Ripples of Impact: Employee Ownership and Measuring What Matters
As a business founder and thought leadership member of the Design Economics Coalition, Miren Oca has spent three decades building a company designed around people–one whose returns attracted private equity. Her thought leadership and advocacy, including her work as founder of Ripples of Impact, is grounded in practice rather than theory. As founder and CEO of Ocaquatics Swim School, which she transitioned to 100 percent employee ownership in 2024, Oca puts it plainly: “I don’t just speak about new economic models. I’ve worked to implement them in a business with more than 160 team members over the past three decades.”
Which tenet of design economics most resonates with your work and why?
Tenet #2 resonates most with my work because I believe our economic systems should be intentionally designed, not simply inherited. My work focuses on helping organizations rethink ownership, redefine success beyond financial return, and measure the broader ripples of impact they create for people and communities. Through employee ownership, stakeholder governance, and practical impact measurement, I help leaders translate new economic ideas into everyday business decisions. I believe the future belongs to organizations that are intentionally designed to create shared prosperity, resilience, and long term value.
What evidence have you seen that economic paradigms are shifting?
Over the past decade, I’ve noticed a meaningful shift in the conversations business leaders are having. Financial performance is still important, but it’s no longer the only measure of success. More leaders, employees, investors, and customers are asking broader questions: Who benefits from this business? How is value shared? What kind of impact are we creating for people, communities, and the future?
I’ve experienced this shift firsthand. At Ocaquatics, we transitioned to 100 percent employee ownership through an Employee Ownership Trust, became a Certified B Corporation, and have intentionally built a culture around stewardship, ownership, and purpose. Through my speaking and consulting, I also see more organizations exploring stakeholder governance, long term thinking, and ways to measure success beyond traditional financial metrics.
I’m also encouraged by the growing interest in employee ownership, purpose driven business, impact investing, and measuring social and environmental outcomes alongside financial performance. These ideas are still evolving, but they’re becoming part of mainstream business conversations rather than niche discussions.
What gives me the most hope is that these conversations are no longer happening only in academic circles or among mission driven organizations. They’re happening in boardrooms, at industry conferences, among entrepreneurs planning succession, and with the next generation of business leaders who want to build companies that create value for all stakeholders.
I believe we’re witnessing a shift from measuring return on investment alone to measuring the ripples of impact that businesses create. That shift doesn’t replace profit. It expands our definition of value.
Which economic orthodoxies do you believe most need challenging?
One of the economic orthodoxies I believe most needs to be challenged is the idea that a business exists primarily to maximize shareholder value. Profit is essential. Healthy businesses create jobs, innovate, and contribute to thriving communities. But when financial returns become the only measure of success, we overlook the people, relationships, and long-term resilience that make those returns possible.
I also think we need to rethink the assumption that business ownership is reserved for a small group of investors or founders. Employee ownership has shown me that ownership can be a powerful tool for building engagement, creating wealth more broadly, and strengthening communities. When more people have a meaningful stake in the success of an organization, decision making naturally becomes more long term and more sustainable.
Finally, I believe we should challenge how we define ROI. Traditional financial metrics tell an important part of the story, but they don’t capture the full value a business creates. I encourage leaders to look at the “Ripples of Impact” their organizations generate for employees, customers, communities, and future generations. What we choose to measure shapes the decisions we make.
My ideas aren’t about replacing profit with purpose. They are about recognizing that the strongest organizations create both. When businesses are designed to generate financial success alongside positive impact, everyone benefits.
What common misconceptions about economics do you most frequently address?
One misconception I frequently address is that purpose and profit are competing priorities. I don’t believe businesses have to choose between doing well and doing good. In fact, I’ve found that organizations with a clear purpose, strong cultures, and engaged employees often create stronger long-term financial results because they’re building healthier, more resilient businesses.
Another misconception is that employee ownership is only for large companies or retiring founders with no other options. Our transition to an Employee Ownership Trust showed me that employee ownership can be a strategic business decision that strengthens culture, preserves a company’s legacy, and creates shared prosperity without sacrificing business performance.
I also challenge the idea that KPIs and financial metrics alone tell us whether an organization is successful. Revenue, profitability, and growth are important, but they don’t capture everything that matters. I encourage leaders to measure what I call “Impact Indicators,” the ways a business influences employees, customers, communities, and future generations. When we broaden what we measure, we often make better decisions.
Perhaps the biggest misconception is that economics is something that happens “to us.” I believe economics is something we continuously design through the choices we make as business owners, investors, employees, consumers, and citizens. Every decision about ownership, governance, incentives, and success helps shape the kind of economy we create together.
How do you engage audiences who may be resistant to new economic thinking?
This is something I’m actively working on, and I’ve learned that it can be challenging. People are often deeply connected to the economic systems and business practices they’ve experienced throughout their careers, so introducing new ways of thinking requires curiosity, patience, and trust.
Rather than trying to convince people that they’re wrong, I try to meet them where they are. I start with practical business challenges they already face, such as succession planning, employee engagement, talent retention, or long term resilience. From there, I share real world examples from my own experience with employee ownership, building a purpose driven culture, and measuring Ripples of Impact. I find that stories and practical outcomes are often more persuasive than theory alone.
I’m encouraged by the progress I’ve seen. More business leaders are becoming curious about alternative ownership models and broader definitions of business success. I’ve learned that meaningful change rarely happens through debate. It happens through conversation, shared experiences, and helping people see new possibilities that align with their own goals and values.
About This Interview
Design Economics Coalition members complete a self-interview exploring how their work connects to the three tenets of design economics: acknowledging change, embracing creativity, and cultivating literacy. These responses help connect professionals across sectors who are working to evolve economic systems.
Interested in joining the coalition? Contact us to learn more about membership.